Kris Holden-Ried, Zoie Palmer and Vanessa Piazza – Lost Girl

By starrymag | March 13, 2014

Q) Can you start off and talk about how Lauren and Dyson’s relationship is going to evolve this season? I’ve heard some spoilers and you can’t maybe specifically talk about those kind of things

Zoie: Gosh, I don’t know. I mean how does it evolve generally speaking over this next season?

Kris: Their mutual respect grows.

Zoie: Yes, I was going to say that.

Kris: They get to really trust. They see each other in – I don’t know. I hope this isn’t a spoiler. But like they realize that they’re more allies on the team of like that they’re with Bo and that they’re both…

Zoie: Yes, and I think that there’s an understanding that they have an understanding that they have more in common than they kind of realize.

Vanessa: I think we also get to see them actually do, you know, some I guess you’d almost call them episodic cases together this season, which we don’t often get to see. So that’s nice. You get to see them sort of — whether it’s by choice or not — working together.

Kris: And there’s some very interesting moments in a certain flashback episode that I’m sure everyone will enjoy.

Q) Kris, can you talk about filming the dance scene?

Kris: Yes. It was fantastic, you know. It was a big endeavor for us to take on. We started rehearsing three weeks before we shot it. And even three weeks ahead, after I went to the first rehearsal, I was skeptical as to whether or not we’d be able to deliver it on time, because it wasn’t a simple dance by any means. A lot of times when they film a dance, they only film like shoulders up. You never see what – they could just be walking around a room. We actually did it because our chorographer, (Nikeeta) was – she’s a professional dancer and she really wanted us to deliver. And Ksenia also used to dance. So sort of we really upped the stakes. And it was an amazing experience for all of us. It was such a great bonding experience between Casey, Ksenia, and myself. And we finally got it together literally like the day before we shot and managed to just make it happen on set.

Vanessa: Yes, and I can say like from a producer’s point of view, when we went – this idea came up, you know, the writers came up with this idea and we were sort of like, “Okay, let’s go for it.” But obviously, I was a little bit nervous because, you know, Kris and Casey don’t necessarily have a dancing background. And so we brought on the choreographer, (Nikeeta Kaninsky) and I was in shock.

Kris: Yes, it was really lovely. And you got to really give a hats off to Ksenia because she did double the work that Casey and I did. And I mean any day that she wasn’t shooting, she was rehearsing like with (Nikeeta) six, eight hours a day. She was beaten up. So really hats off to Ksenia. And we’re really glad that everyone really responded to it as well. The fans loved it.

Zoie: Did you see me in that scene? I’m just in the background standing by myself. I don’t know if anybody noticed that.

Q) I really like how in the first episode, the writers are dealing with the absence of Bo and having all the characters forget her. As actors, how did you approach kind of playing your character when it’s more or less be rewritten?

Kris: It was a good challenge. But that’s the thing that we love Lost Girl is it’s always throwing you curve balls and things that you have to adjust your performance for.

Zoie: Yes, it was cool actually. It was funny because that episode felt almost like a different show for me. Because I know I’m only actually truly in it for about four and a half seconds at the end there, but that whole sort of situation, which I can’t speak about at all felt like sort of we were on a different show, which is kind of fun. It’s just interesting. It was like a really different vibe. It was cool.

Kris: Well, and Ana is such a – she’s such a binding force when she’s on set that when we started without her, it really did feel like a different show. I remember we were all standing around and, you know, just the vibe and the personality of who sort of stepped up and takes change at certain different places. And it was really fun. I must admit. Ksenia, Casey, and I, and Paul, we all had a great time. Zoie, unfortunately, was stuck in her little world on her own.

Zoie: In my restaurant.

Vanessa: It was definitely interesting, though, as well, that moment when – because we originally didn’t actually have Ana — this is Vanessa speaking by the way — we didn’t have Ana scheduled to be in that first episode at all. And it sort of worked out that she ended up – we ended up actually using her for that quick moment. When Dyson sees Ana when he’s talking to Clio, who’s played by Mia Kirshner. So anyway, Ana came in and she was such a trooper because she wasn’t actually scheduled to work that week at all. And I called her up and I remember just saying like, “Would you be interested in kind of just doing this quick scene?” And I just remember that moment when she walked on the floor.

Kris: Yes, me too.

Vanessa: Like we all were just like, “Ana,” like you don’t even realize how much the character’s missing until like she actually walked on and she just has that smile. And I think everyone was just – it was neat. It was a really neat experience to be able to have that.

Kris: Yes, and it was great in episode three when — I can’t really talk about it — but episode three, you know, to have her getting more – what can I say?

Vanessa: Whatever, you can say a little bit.

Kris: Just Ana is such a – she’s a lost girl. And it was such a lovely feeling when all the sudden we were all reunited.

Zoie: She was so extraordinary to because she had a baby like 12 minutes earlier or something. Literally just had her baby. So recently — excuse me — and for her to be she really came with the 1000% enthusiasm. So hats off to her too.

Vanessa: Yes, she’s an amazing lead. There’s no doubt about it.

Q) Vanessa, are we going to get more information about Bo’s father this season?

Vanessa: You are. I mean the story line will continue. I can’t say much more than that. But yes, the story line will continue. I can’t say whether or not it will resolve itself, whether you’ll meet him, whether you won’t, whether he exists, but it is a subject I guess of the season. But that’s about all I can say.

Q) I had to ask Zoie, there was such a strong reaction to the red wig that you wear when you play Amber on Twitter when the premiere aired. I kind of wanted to know sort of your thoughts about — you kind of touched on it a little bit — but your thoughts about playing Lauren looking so different from herself towards the beginning of the season.

Zoie: Well, I was excited at first. At first, I was pretty excited about it. But I feel like I have a hard time with wigs in general. I have a hard time with anything on my head, hats. I don’t look good in any of them. So yes, I don’t know. I mean I looked really, really different with that hairdo. Like it really changes my face and my everything. So it was a transition. It was something to get used to. But it was kind of neat because like having to play a different character, which is what she’s actually doing in that episode, it helped in that way to, you know, provide a place to begin from.

Vanessa: I think you look good in the red wig.

Zoie: Thanks, Vanessa, thanks. I think you also look good in a red wig. I don’t know why you don’t wear yours more often.

Kris: How was the reaction? Was it positive or negative reaction?

Vanessa: You know what though? I think they’re just not – they don’t like to see a change in Lauren. I don’t that it was negative. It’s just, you know, it’s different. It’s not what we’re used to.

Zoie: I’ve only had two wigs on the show and both times it hasn’t gone that well.

Vanessa: Okay, so maybe we won’t do any more wigs for Zoie.

Zoie: We should do one every year. We have one every year I think.

Q) It’s been really lovely to see Lauren and Dyson’s relationship develop through the seasons and, you know, they’re very antagonistic towards the beginning, but it seems like they’re coming to a better understanding perhaps as you mentioned. And I know you and you and Kris and Zoie, you are both friendly with each other. So I’m wondering which dynamic do you like playing more, the more antagonistic or the sort of friendlier dynamic?

Zoie: I like both.

Kris: Yes, I mean it’s all about the journey, right? So I mean you’ve got to go through different stages of what the joy is. I mean Zoie and I have such a fun relationship off set that just throw us anything and we’ll jump at it.

Zoie: Yes, totally. I’ve enjoyed their journey too. You know, I think really early on we were really distrustful of each other in the first season and for all kinds of really good reasons. And I think that there will always be a little bit of the leftover something from the beginning of the journey, but it’s been nice to see that they’ve kind of done a little bit of one step forward, two steps back throughout the seasons. And there is sort of a respect. But there’s an understanding that they both will do what they have to do as well.

Vanessa: We kind of just had this question. But yes, what we were just saying to one of the other journalists is that they actually – this season, you will get to see them sort of having to work together more. So we get to see a little bit more of a dynamic with them, which is nice.

Q) Zoie and for Kris, hat made you decide to do the show after you were approached about it?

Kris: Well, there’s this really nasty sort of part about living. It’s called rent.

Zoie: Kris. Yes, that’s why we did it for rent, nothing else.

Kris: Exactly. I read the original script by (Michele Loreda), and I loved it. It’s the kind of genera I’d always wanted to get involved with. I mean I’ve said this before, but I grew up reading, you know, fantasy and sci-fi novels everything from Lord of the Rings to Dragon Lance. I played D&D. And so when I had an opportunity to create a character that was sort of mystically based, just it really resonated with a lot of the imaginings that I did as a kid, running around the forest with my little Fisher Price bow and arrow. And I got to do it as an adult and get paid for it so hey.

Zoie: Yes, I mean this is kind of – It’s been the opportunity of a lifetime in so many ways. You know, there’s five very, very – well, there’s more now. We started off with what, six different characters and they’ve grown. And they’re so different from each other that it’s been a really exciting journey to kind of have the opportunity as an actor to play all these different things and go on all these different adventures. And sort of there’s everything from the greater story arc to the kind of episode of the week and the story line within it. And it’s just a really great adventure for an actor. And for me, it was kind of a no brainer. It was a bit of a no brainer to take the part.

Q) Can you tell us anything about any guest stars that might appear in this next season?

Vanessa: Okay, well, when you watch the premiere, you will – it’s actually pretty stacked with guest stars. We have George Takei, who plays a really fun character. And we’ve got Mia Kirshner, who does a little mini arc this season. Kris got to do some work with her. So that was fun. I was just going to say Linda Hamilton. And Ali Liebert from Bomb Girls.

Q) Zoie, we really haven’t seen much of Lauren yet. But can you just kind of talk about kind of what’s in store for her this season a little bit?

Zoie: It’s a really good season for Lauren. She sort of starts to have a different journey and we learn a little bit more about her history. And it’s a really different, I think, side of her than we’ve seen. We may have touched on it a little bit in other seasons, but I think she sort of starts to come into her own a little bit this year.

Q) Obviously, Kenzi and Dyson in the first episode, they have a much different relationship. But, you know, they didn’t know about Bo. They didn’t know that they could potentially be hurting her. Is she going to confront them like at some point in the season and talk about them being together?

Zoie: You have to wait and see really. We will deal with that. Let’s say that we will deal with it in episode four. I think we have a scenario where Kenzi and Bo are…

Vanessa: Talking to one another.

Zoie: Well, no. I think they’re sort of trapped somewhere where they kind of – the subject maybe comes up. But yes, we’ll have to wait and see how Bo handles it.

Q) Lauren was a pretty mysterious character in season one. There were a lot of questions about here. And you said in an interview, Zoie, that you didn’t really know all that much about sort of Lauren’s true motivations or past when you were playing season one. Now that we are learning a lot more about Lauren, I was wondering do you go back and kind of reconsider moments that happened in season one or season two again to sort of if something shed a new light on it for you?

Zoie: For sure. I mean I did it more early on. Now there’s a lot of stuff out on the table. I mean we learn about her all the time. And I never know from script to script what I’ll learn about here. So there’s always that. But in terms of her intentions and that stuff, the first season was the hardest to play because I never quite knew where she stood either. And so it took kind of up until season two and a little bit into three where I started to kind of get a holistic sense of her. And so yes, I would go back and go, “Oh.” Like would I have played a scene differently had I had that information, I don’t know. I sort of loved though that she was always on the line and that you kind of never knew. I think that there’s still a little bit of that that fits with Lauren all the time is that you never know if a certain situation arose that she might do something that surprises you, which I kind of like. I like that quality about her.

Q) And then people joke it feels like we have so many bits and pieces of Lauren’s past and she’s only supposed to be like 35 years old but we have Dyson who’s, you know, a thousand year old wolf and we have so little about his past. And so I was wondering, Kris, is there like a period of Dyson’s past that you would really like to explore either like an historical period or maybe a piece of his personal journey?

Kris: Yes, I would love to. And right from the very beginning when I walked into the audition room, I had ideas about his back-story and exploring sort of mythology of the shape shifter. And yes, I would love to explore a bit more of that part of his world like maybe the hierarchy within the shape shifter world. There was a fan who wrote some lovely fan fiction exploring it and she brought up some pretty cool ideas about the godmother werewolf or the godmother shifter. Just a different powers. And I think I’ve talked to Jay. Jay’s our executive creator, co-creator of the show. And we may in season five get to explore a bit more of the mythology of the shifter world and how it will sort of relate to the world that we already have made and Bo’s place in it, hopefully. As far as historical period, there’s so many cool ones. I mean like he’s 1000 years old, right? So what was he doing during the Renaissance? What was he doing? We kind of did the dark ages and 205 kind of the band of brothers riding around. But or maybe like during the 1920s when he first came to the new world with Trick that would be pretty cool.

Q) Because we again, something that we’ve basically had no info on in the U.S., can you talk a bit — I guess all of you can answer this, but maybe, Vanessa, it’s more for you — talk a bit about kind of what the Una Mens are at all and kind when and how that’s going to – I mean we know that they’re after the humans, obviously, but just kind of more about what they are and stuff like that.

Vanessa: Well, I mean I would say that they’re a high council who have come in. And it’s almost like, yes, you get a little bit of a feeling of it almost feels like they come in and they’ve come down and sort of laid down the law. So they’re almost like above sort of the Morrigan and they’re above the Ash. But they potentially represent evil. So they’re sort of this force that’s come in. And they’re not only trying to track down humans that they are. I mean that’s one of the big things that puts our human leads in danger. But they kind of like Una Mens, basically means in Latin that it’s like of one mind. So they’re sort of this group of people that gave away their own identities to be part of this council. So we’ll uncover more about them, and their back-story, and how they’re going to fit into the equation. But they definitely pose a threat to many of our leads. So again, of course they like order and, we know, Bo doesn’t necessarily always want to conform.

Q) Then, is there like a certain scene you’re each looking forward to that you can kind of tease us without, you know, too many spoilers that you’re looking forward to people seeing?

Zoie: Yes, that’s the part that we can’t talk about. Yes, there’s lots of those. I mean there’s a few in particular that I think – and I don’t know, for me anyway, it’s always stuff where I get to kind of do things outside of the box, outside of what we’re used to seeing of Lauren, you know? Anything that sort of pushes the envelope or demands anything of me as an actor, is always the stuff that’s really exciting to play and hopefully watch for the viewers. So I think there’s a few of those for my character. And I would imagine for Kris too, yes?

Kris: Yes, there’s this amazing scene where Bo and I get to go into this dream world of hers. And like we’re married and she’s pregnant with my baby. And then all this shit starts happening and like I realize it’s not a dream or that it faults. And yes, I’m really looking forward to people getting to see that. I don’t know. Honestly, I love that dance scene was great. I mean it was a great way to start the season. But we have a lot of really fun episodes this year.

Vanessa: Lots of really cool things. And we get to see some of our characters who maybe didn’t get to play as big of role in past seasons get to sort of really expand their roles. So cast kind of grows and it’s fun definitely.

Kris: Yes, I mean the season ends extremely strong with some very powerful, emotional scenes, which I’m really looking forward to everybody – there’s a lot of big stuff happens this season. And, you know, I think the audience is in for a real ride.

Zoie: Yes, so buckle up.

Q) We saw a little bit of Dyson and Kenzi perhaps being a little romantic-y in the season premiere in absence of Bo. And I know some people actually really do like that relationship. They’d like to see Kenzi and Dyson get together. And some people were kind of, “That was strange. I think of them as more big brother, little sister.” I was wondering because if you thought if were there no Bo, do you think that Kenzi and Dyson would, you know, be able to date? Do you think they might be a good couple?

Kris: I know, interesting. Gosh, that’s a tough one. Well, and it’s something that we really didn’t explore too much. But I mean how would Kenzi and Dyson have met if there was no Bo, right? So we kind of took a leap of faith with that. And God, I don’t know. I mean here’s the thing. It’s like the mythology of Dyson and Bo is Dyson’s the wolf mating for life sort of thing. And wow, a really big owl just landed right outside my window. I’m sorry. Like for real, like four foot wingspan just flew up. I’m going to go shoot it. I would love to say yes because I really love the Kenzi Dyson dynamic. I think that Ksenia and I, we have a lot of fun working together and we bring in interesting chemistry. I don’t know. Let’s put it this way, I never really explored it because we knew it was just this one off sort of deal. But I never really explored it. But yes, I think the wolf is – he’d be into exploring a human relationship.

Zoie: I think Dyson’s an anything’s possible kind of guy.

Kris: I think so.

Zoie: I think he’s more of a yes guy than a no guy in a lot of ways. I think he’s up for anything. That’s my two cents on it if anyone’s interested.

Kris: Dr. Lauren put it quite well in season one, I believe. She said, “I just wish you had chosen someone a little less traveled.” Wasn’t that your line?

Zoie: Yes, something like that. I think that was my line. You really hung on to that, didn’t you for four years.

Q) Zoie, what you think is sort of Lauren’s kind of state of mind in regards to Bo right now, because she, you know, asked Bo for a break in season three and kind of went off with past. I think it’s pretty clear she’s still loves Bo. But do you think Lauren is in the space to be in a relationship with Bo right now or what do you think she’s sort of at in that regard?

Zoie:  I think she needs time. I think she needs a little time. I think also the beginning of this season, there’s a lot of other things on Lauren’s mind that are kind of saving her own sort of skin. So I think it goes without saying that Bo is always integral to Lauren than important and sort of the love of her life, I think. But she’s kind of running away desperately from everybody at the beginning of the season. And I think she’s really just sort of focused on staying alive. So it might take a minute.

Q) Obviously Kenzi gets — I mean it’s not a per se real say power — but to help her stay away from the Una Mens or whatever. Was there ever any discussion about giving Lauren some kind of thing to make them think she’s not human?

Vanessa: Well, I think that what the difference was is that Kenzi decides to stick around, right? And so she kind of comes up with the survival mechanism, which is true of Kenzi’s way. And I guess Lauren has different survival mechanism where she runs, but it’s also different for Lauren because she ended the season sort of in a position she didn’t necessarily mean to put herself in but where she sort of betrayed her family. So she can’t really – I think she sort of felt also like she couldn’t necessarily ask them for protection. She couldn’t necessarily run to them and say, “I need protection,” whereas Kenzi left the season in a different place. So Lauren’s gone on the run and she’s in disguise and so they’re both have just taken different means I guess in trying to protect themselves from the Una Mens. But Lauren’s also trying to project herself from the (Lighsey) potentially as well, right? Like she’s disobeyed the (Lighsey) as well. Yes, their scenarios are a bit different.

Q) What do you think Dyson and Lauren’s New Year’s resolutions would be if they had them?

Zoie: I think Lauren’s New Year’s resolution would be to have more beer and pizza.

Vanessa: That’s a good one. That’s a good answer.

Kris: And Dyson’s would be to have less.

Zoie: I think we could both use some beer and pizza.

Vanessa: That answer might be a bit of foreshadowing, just so you know.

Q) Just speaking of pizza, I was kind of wondering, Kris and Zoie, how you cope with eating that like disgusting looking cold pizza that sometimes you have to eat in scenes that your characters are supposed to be eating. Are there like certain types that are a little less disgusting than others? Because they all look gross.

Vanessa: Why would you assume that I would feed them cold pizza? It’s very warm. I think everything’s cooked right.

Zoie: No, they’re actually cool because they kind of ask you what you want.

Vanessa: It’s made to perfection.

Kris: Yes, it’s made to order.

Zoie: Exactly, it’s made to order. So we each go and have the same pizza. We have the pizza we want. And they’re very good to us about that stuff.

Kris: I think the experience was actually  – we all in one scene had to eat hot dogs. And because of certain people with dietary restrictions, we were all eating gluten free vegan hotdogs.

Zoie: It was awful. Those were awful.

Vanessa: I got to say they looked really good in the scene.

Zoie: I think I was pretty hungry though and I think I had like two.

Kris: I think it took all of our acting skill to look like we were really enjoying them, which isn’t saying much about our acting skills, but hey.

Q) You all don’t have exactly the biggest budget in the world, but you seem to have a very funny cast and some good cast members who like to improvise. And I was wondering do you allow for some improvisation during shooting on set?

Kris: No, they are on set every day with a cattle prod. If we mess up one single line, we get 10,000 volts zap.

Vanessa: No, definitely I would say, you know, with our lead cast, you know, obviously we just finished our fourth season. So there’s a lot of experience there. And I think we all trust each other. And I think everybody’s open to hearing suggestions and the actors — I think you guys can answer more honestly — but I think you guys feel like you can voice your opinions on things and change a line here or there when it’s not working for you.

Kris: It’s one of the treats of working on Lost Girl is that it’s not like a big network show where there’s being so many people going over the script and, you know, it’s gone through checkpoints and, you know, you can’t change a word. With us, we can actually talk one-on-one with the writer and definitely make changes or even sometimes talk about episode arcs like character arcs and think about maybe if we said something a little different here it could open us up for a different opportunity, which is great.

Zoie: Yes, they’re very cool about that. I mean they’re so open to dialogue about the character and about lines. And it’s a lovely dynamic that way for sure.

Q) Do either of you have like an improvised line that you’re really happy made it into the episode that you came up with?

Kris: It’s funny. When you’re working in the moment on the show, ideas and such are happening so fast and they make it in. But everything is so spur of the moment that it’s really hard to remember what one little line was here or there.

Zoie: You have to be careful to improvise in character. It’s sometimes it’s a great way to fall out of character when you start improvising. For me, anyway, I have to watch if I start improvising that I stay in the character of Lauren and that she doesn’t all the sudden become Zoie.

Vanessa: There was really funny moment. I’m trying to think how I can put this without giving away too much. But where Zoie, you improvised something and it ended up being really funny, where somebody said something, and they were actually saying it to another character and you just – it wasn’t even a line. It was a reaction where you reacted as if the line was for you. And it was just this really funny moment that… It was just this really funny beat that ended up making the scene that was pretty hilarious. I mean kind of a bit abstract if you don’t know what we’re talking about.

Kris: It happened on the episode that just aired in Canada, I believe, right?

Vanessa: Yes.

 

*CONFERENCE CALL*